Motor vehicle



- A.' MoonHousE.

f MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. |920.

Patented Oct. III, 1922,.

`tread to the vehicle.

Patented @et litt, 192.

"ALFRED MOORI-IOUSE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNR I PACKARD IVIOTR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MCI-IIGAN, A GORPORATON Olli' MICHIGAN. p

Moron. VEHICLE.

Application filed August 26, 192i). Serial No. 406,146.

To all miaou?, t muy concern:

.Be it known that l, ALFRED MoonHoUsn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Detroit, l/Vayne County, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Motor Vehicles, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly to vehicle trames.

ln designing a trame for motor vehicles, there are several problems presented. The trame must be so designed as to properly support the vehicle body mounted thereon in such a manner as to prevent the body r from tippinolaterally. The `tront and rear ends of the trame must also be so constructed and of' such dimensions as to permit the front wheels to turn and to give the proper This latter problem is much more diiiicult of solution with the pneumatic tired commercial vehicle, or truck, due to the great width and size oi the tires. p

@ne oi" the objects of this invention is, therefore, to provide a -traine structure which will satisfy the requirements of clear- .I ance tor the front wheels, tread for both transverse :trame members 11.

sets of wheels, and support tor the superimposed body structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle irame of such Width as to give the desired tread but also having sufficient width to properly support the body.

Further objects will appear from the following speciiication taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this application and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a motor vehicle frame constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is` a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

The motor vehicle 'I rame illustrated in the drawings comprises a pair of longitudinal side members 10 connected together by The frame is widest at its intermediate portion as shown at 12, the iront ends ot the frame members converging as shown at 13, and the rear ends oit' the iframe members being disposed closer together, as shown at 14, than their intermediate portions. The rear ortions of the framemembers in the emT hodiment of the invention illustrated 211'@ :ping ot the body.

`of the rear portion of the frame, means must be provided for properly supporting the body which is superimposed upon the frame, in order to prevent the lateral tip- For this purpose additional body supporting means has been provided, this means comprising a pair oflaterally extending brackets 18, secured to the `iront ends of the reduced frame portion, and a pair of brackets 19 secured to the portions 14 of theside frame members intermediate at their ends. The brackets 18 and 19 have substantially flat upper surfaces 20 upon which the body is secured, and each oi these also has a downwardly extending portion 21 which forms a hanger for the vehicle springs 16. lt will thus be seen that each ot' these brackets performs a dual function; namely, that of supporting the body and forming a spring hanger.

\ ln order to further support the body structure, l have secured to the rear corners of the frame laterally extending plates 22, these plates and the brackets 18 and 19 increasing the effective widths oi2 the rear portion of theframe to substantially the width of the intermediate portion indicated at 12.

From the above description, it will be seen that a vehicle trame has been provided which will satisfy the requirements of clearance for turning, the requirement of width as to tread, and also the requirement of support for the body.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that modications and changes may be made in the con.- struction and in the arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A frame for motor vehicles comprising longitudinal side members and cross members connecting said side members, the rear ends of said side members being disposed closer together than the intermediate portion thereof, and body supporting means carried by rear ends of said members and extending laterally therefrom.

2. A tra-me for motor vehicles comprising Alongitudinal side members and connecting cross members,4 the rear end or' said trame being reduced in Width, and body supporting means secured to the reduced i'ear end ot said iframe and extending laterally therefrom to an extent sui'iicient to increase the effective Width of the reduced portion of said Jrame to a Width equal to 'that of the Widest portion of said frame.

3. A frame/for motor Vehicles comprising longitudinal side members and means tor connecting said side members, the rear kportion of said trame being reduced in Width, and brackets secured to the rear por tion of said frame and extending laterally therefrom, said brackets having` body supporting portions and portions adapted to act as spring hangers.

hln combination, a frame having longitudinal side members, .the rear portions of said side membersbeing disposed closer together than the intermediate'portions thereof, laterally extending brackets carried by the rear portions of said side members and having substantially .fiat body supporting surfaces, and 'vehicle springs secured to said brackets.

A traine tor n'iotor vehicles having longitudinal side 'trame members so connected that the iframe reduced in width at its rear portion, and laterally extendinifj body supporting brackets secured lo the re duced portion oi" said Vl'rame.

6. A frame for motor \ehieles comprising f ay pair ot longitudinal side iframe members having their front ends converging, their intermediate portions substantially parallel to eachother, and their rear portions substantially parallel but disposed closer to gether than their intermediate portions, and body supportiinV brackets carried by the rear portions oi: said trame inen'ibers for increasing the effective width ot' the body support `ing surface of said frame.

T. A frame for niotoi' vehicles comprising a pair ot longitudinal side trame. memlwrs having substantially parallel intern'iediate portions, substantially parallel rear portions disposed closer together tha said interme diate portions, and inclined connecting portions between the intermediate portions and the rear portions, and a plurality ot brackets secured to and extending laterally troni the rear portions ot said `trame tor increasing the Width oi the body supporting .surface oi said rear portions.

ln testimony whereof l atiix my sigiuitnre.

ALFRED MO UHHOUSIC. 

